What's important to me? My faith, my family, and my friends.
Sometimes there are books that insist on being written, so I help them along, just so I can learn what they have to say. Whenever possible, have a nice day!

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Thursday, May 2, 2013

National Day of Prayer

" Let us come together to pray for peace and goodwill today and in the days ahead as we work to meet the great challenges of our time." Barack Obama

Today is the National Day of Prayer, a day not sponsored or owned by any group. It belongs to ALL Americans, regardless of their faith. Each year, the president signs a proclamation officially designating the day. Freedom of religion has been a part of our country from the beginning, and in 1952, it was established as an annual event by a joint resolution of Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.

As Americans, we rejoice in this freedom, acknowledging that people of all faiths, have the same rights and freedoms to worship in accordance with their beliefs.We have the right to worship as we please, but can only speak for ourselves. Sadly, too many refuse to give others the same freedom they insist on for themselves. Our constitution forbids the government from endorsing one religion over another, or to insist on religion at all. There are more people that claim no religion than those actively practicing one. Days like today were designed to include everyone that wishes to participate.

A Proclamation

Americans have long turned to prayer
both in times of joy and times of sorrow. On their voyage to the New
World, the earliest settlers prayed that they would “rejoice together,
mourn together, labor, and suffer together, always having before our
eyes our commission and community in the work.” From that day forward,
Americans have prayed as a means of uniting, guiding, and healing. In
times of hardship and tragedy, and in periods of peace and prosperity,
prayer has provided reassurance, sustenance, and affirmation of common
purpose.

Prayer brings communities together and
can be a wellspring of strength and support. In the aftermath of
senseless acts of violence, the prayers of countless Americans signal to
grieving families and a suffering community that they are not alone.
Their pain is a shared pain, and their hope a shared hope. Regardless of
religion or creed, Americans reflect on the sacredness of life and
express their sympathy for the wounded, offering comfort and holding up a
light in an hour of darkness.

All of us have the freedom to pray and
exercise our faiths openly. Our laws protect these God-given liberties,
and rightly so. Today and every day, prayers will be offered in houses
of worship, at community gatherings, in our homes, and in neighborhoods
all across our country. Let us give thanks for the freedom to practice
our faith as we see fit, whether individually or in fellowship.

On this day, let us remember in our
thoughts and prayers all those affected by recent events, such as the
Boston Marathon bombings, the Newtown, Connecticut shootings, and the
explosion in West, Texas. Let us pray for the police officers,
firefighters, and other first responders who put themselves in harm’s
way to protect their fellow Americans. Let us also pray for the safety
of our brave men and women in uniform and their families who serve and
sacrifice for our country. Let us come together to pray for peace and
goodwill today and in the days ahead as we work to meet the great
challenges of our time.

The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as
amended, has called on the President to issue each year a proclamation
designating the first Thursday in May as a “National Day of Prayer.”

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA,
President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do
hereby proclaim May 2, 2013, as a National Day of Prayer. I join the
citizens of our Nation in giving thanks, in accordance with our own
faiths and consciences, for our many freedoms and blessings, and in
asking for God’s continued guidance, mercy, and protection.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set
my hand this first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand
thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the
two hundred and thirty-seventh.